REPORT 
of the 


Standing Committee on Associations 
to the 
Forty-first International Convention 


Atlantic City, N. J. 
November 14-19, 1922 


THE COMMITTEE 


Dr. J. P. Munn, Chairman, New York City 
Pror. O. E. Brown, Nashville, Tennessee 
Rev. C. W. Giixey, Chicago, Illinois 

Rey. Roy B. Guirp, New York City 

G. C. Hupertr, Hartford, Connecticut 

C, R. Joy, Keokuk, Iowa 

H. P. LANspALE, Rochester, N. Y. 

James Locan, Worcester, Massachusetts 
Dr. W. D. Macxenzik, Hartford, Connecticut 
Rey. Joun M. Moors, Brooklyn, New York 
H. L. S—EAMANs, Columbus, Ohio 

E. L. SHury, Dayton, Ohio 

K. A, SHuMAKER, Chicago, Illinois 

H. W. Stone, Portland, Oregon 

S. Wirt Witey, Minneapolis, Minnesota 


> 


To the Forty-first International Convention of the Young Men’s Christian 
Associations of North America: 


Gentlemen: 


The work of the Standing Committee on Associations was defined in 
the following resolution adopted by the Washington Convention: 


“RESOLVED, That this Convention appoint a Committee to 
investigate the standing of the North American Associations as to 
the Portland test, and if the active, voting members (those who 
hold office) are found not to be on the Portland Basis they shall 
be warned and given three years to reform said irregularity. 
Any Association which violates this rule after this notification 
shall be stricken from the rolls.” 


The International Convention held in Detroit in 1919 authorized the 
Committee to continue its work and “to increase its membership for the 
more thorough study of the various problems involved in its work” and 
requested the Committee “to take into close consultation trusted leaders 
of the Churches and of the Association”; also to make a special study 
of the Student Department in all its relations. 


‘In compliance with the instructions of the Detroit Convention, and 
for the purpose of making a more thorough study of the practice of 
local Associations concerning their Basis of Active Membership, the Com- 
mittee has increased its number by the addition of twelve members, rep- 
resenting various Association groups and Church bodies. 


The Committee has continued to make inquiry concerning and to 
study the Basis of Active Membership of the local Associations. In 
May, 1922, it sent a formal inquiry to all local Associations, requesting 
a statement from them concerning their Basis of Active Membership, 
both as to constitutional requirements and as to practice. A summary of 
the replies received to this inquiry follows: 


SUMMARY OF REPLIES TO INQUIRY SENT BY COMMITTEE 
ON ASSOCIATIONS 


Total Number 

Reporting Replying Per cent 

in Year Book to Inquiry Replying 
City cee Aid tee oh 720 684 95 
Raucdad soe ees 230 207 90 
County.ings scan 108 38 34 
Army and Navy.... 32 17 53 
Colored to sstenc ee 123: 59 48 
Stident:2i. ae 341 262 76 
Indiante ie se vane ee 14 7 50 


LOtal ei acqitaet 1568 1274 81 


Two hundred and six (sixteen per cent) of the replies indicate irregu- 
larities with reference to office holding or voting, as follows: 





City ia. .b tees se 36 5% of replies from City Associations. 

Raitlroad@ess ae 25 W290 ox “Railroad Associations. 

SOUNTY Satake stone 15 40% “ 1 “ County Associations. 

Coloredttaccuaces. 4 7%“ - “ Colored Associations. 

Studente:s: see eee 123 47% “ a “Student Associations. 

hnrdian eee. 3 43% “ 4 “Indian Associations. 
LP Otal sree es 206 16% of replies from All Associations. 


City Railroad County Colored Student Indian Total 
Constitution does not 
limit either office hold- 
ing or voting to mem- 
bers of Evangelical 
Ghurchesaty -euceere By 1] 9 3 72 2 100 


Constitution does not 
limit office holding to 
members of Evangeli- 
caleGhurchestece dest R) 1 2, 1 7 14 


Constitution does not 
limit voting to mem- 
bers of Evangelical 
Churches 547 57iw.-6e' 2 4 16 


Constitution regular but 
in practice office hold- 
ing not limited to mem- 
bers of Evangelical 
*Ghurches™.'.2esjees ss. 14 8 3 8 1 34 


Constitution regular but 
in practice voting not 
limited to members of 
Evangelical Churches. 14 1 1 20 36 


to 
im 


Total ona s Sevens peo 25 15 4 123 Ser e200 


The Committee calls attention to the fact that while 1,978 Associations 
are known to be in existence, only 1,568 submitted reports for the 1922 
Year Book. It is probable, however, that most of the Associations fail- 
ing to report to the Year Book are in the smaller places and do not have 
a large number of active members. The above data shows that the 
Associations which have replied to the Committee’s inquiry, excepting the 
Student group to which subsequent reference is made, have seventy-three 
per cent of the total active membership of all the Associations in their 
groups. The inquiry also shows that those who reported Bases of Active 
Membership in conformity with Convention action have seventy-two 
per cent of the total active membership of the Associations in their 
groups. Furthermore, careful analysis of the reported irregularities show 
that they are mostly infractions of the letter of the Convention ruling 
rather than of its spirit. The Committee is encouraged, therefore, to 
believe that there is growing conformity on the part of local Associations 


with the Convention’s requirements concerning the Basis of Active Mem- 
bership. 


From various sources, the Committee learned from time to time of 
the desire of certain local Associations for changes or adjustments in 
the authorized Basis of Active Membership. At the request of some of 
these Associations, the Committee provided opportunity for their repre- 
sentatives to meet with it and to present statements concerning the 
present practice and reasons supporting a desire for any change in the 
Basis or definitions thereof. From the replies to its inquiry, and as a 
result of its extensive correspondence, the Committee also ascertained 
the views of a large number of other most influential Association leaders 
in all sections of the country concerning the Basis of Active Membership. 
It is apparent to the Committee that while there are some who, for 
historical or other reasons, earnestly prefer that no change be made in 
the present Basis or in the definitions thereof, there are others who with 
equal earnestness advocate an alternate Basis providing largest liberty. 
The Committee’s own conclusions, in the light of all the evidence sub- 
mitted, leads it to submit recommendations involving no change in the 
Basis, but permitting alternate definitions of the term “Evangelical.” 
These are submitted with the unanimous recommendation of the entire 
Committee, excepting four members who have been unable to meet with 
the Committee or to advise concerning its work. 


“RESOLVED, That in determining which Churches are 
Evangelical for purposes affecting the Basis of Active Mem- 
bership, local Associations may regard as Evangelical 
churches any of the following: 


“1, Those conforming to the definition adopted by the In- 
ternational Convention held in Portland, Maine, in 1869, 


“2. Those designated as eligible for membership in the 
Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America, or 
the corresponding body of the Dominion of Canada. 


“3. Those which may be so regarded by the local Federa- 
tion or Council of Churches, or where such Federation 
or Council does not exist, by a majority of the active 
pastors of those churches of the community which are 
eligible for membership in the Federal Council of 
Churches of Christ in America.” 


In presenting these recommendations, the Committee directs the atten- 


tion of the Convention to the following points involved in the recommen- 
dations: 


1. That they do not involve any change in the Basis as 
adopted by the Convention of 1869, but only provide for 
alternate definitions of the term “Evangelical” as adopted 
by the Convention of 1869. 


2. No change in the present Basis is mandatory upon any 
Association. The adoption of either alternate definition 
is entirely optional with any Association. 


3. Both alternate definitions conform to the principle hereto- 
fore accepted by the Convention in recognizing the Asso- 
ciation’s relation and allegiance to the Church, and accept- 
ing a decision of the recognized “Evangelical” Churches 
concerning which denominations are, or are not, “Evan- 
gelical.” 


4. In the second alternate definition, there is recognition of the 
principle of local autonomy, first, in according to local Asso- 
ciations the right of choice of alternate definitions of the 
term “Evangelical,” and second, in permitting a majority of 
the recognized churches of a local Community to determine 
whether other local churches are or are not “Evangelical.” 

In its studies of the Membership Basis as related to Student Associa- 
tions, the Committee has found many interesting developments and sig- 
nificant trends. Out of the 678 Student Associations, including colored 
and Indian, known to be in existence, 432 submitted reports for the Year 
Book of 1922. Of those reporting to the Year Book, only 260 replied to 
the Committee’s inquiry. It seems probable that this low figure may be 
explained by the fact that the inquiry was issued near the close of the 
college year and, therefore, may not have been received by many Associa- 
tions; and by the further fact that fully four-fifths of the Student Asso- 
ciations have no graduate Secretaries and the work is directed entirely 
by volunteer student officers. Of those replying to the Committee’s 
inquiry, 123, or forty-seven per cent, reported irregularities either in 
practice or in constitutional requirement. A study of these irregularities 
shows a trend towards the use of a personal statement of purpose. It is 
noteworthy that only thirty-two reported having found the alternate basis 
for membership, authorized by the Washington Convention, acceptable as 
a personal basis. 

Finding this widespread variation and lack of uniformity, the Committee 
on Associations asked the various Student Councils, National, Regional, 
and State, to confer and cooperate with it in the endeavor to work out 
some uniform basis which might be generally accepted by all Student 
Associations. 

Your Committee desires to acknowledge the splendid cooperation given 
to it in its study of the Student situation by the various Student Councils 
and by the Association of Student Secretaries. These representatives of 
our Student Movement have made an exhaustive study of the question of 
the Basis of Active Membership as it affects the Student Associations. 
As a result of these studies, the National Council, composed of two rep- 
resentatives from each of the several Field Councils, worked out a pro- 
posal of a Basis of Active Membership which they submitted for con- 
sideration to local Associations, State and Field Councils, and the State 
and Summer Student Conferences. This very thorough process of 
national discussion and study had not been completed at the time when 
this report was issued. The Committee believes that the progress already 
made by these Student leaders will result in the unanimous recommenda- 
tion of a Basis by the National Council of Student Young Men’s Christian 
Associations prior to the opening of the Convention, so that it may be 
submitted by this Committee to the Atlantic City Convention for its con- 
sideration and action. 

Respectfully submitted 
On behalf of the Standing Committee on Associations, 
By Jonn P. Munn, Chairman. 
New York City, 
October 20, 1922. 


Ths) wha 
foe 


yh etter 





